When it comes to the motorcycle, the Harley Davidson is the gold standard. It is the royalty of this two-cycled motor vehicle industry. But its prominence and position at the top was not achieved overnight. It took a lot of hard work and patience to reach the position in the industry that they have now. And it took decades to earn the respect of both consumers and friends in the industry.

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company is based in Wisconsin. Along with Victory Motors, it is one of the two remaining mass producers of in the United States. But what sets apart the Harley from other that are being manufactured is its design and its sound, which made it an overnight sensation way back. Although neighborhood watchmen and people who love a nice and quiet night will not agree to this, the sheer loudness of the sound of a Harley Motorcycle is what consumers love about it.

The company began in 1903 when a 21 year old enterprising young man dreamed of a small engine that will eventually replace the 7.07 cubic and four-inch flywheels. Its small size is actually meant to be put in a regular bicycle to make it faster.

For two years, William Harley and his friend Arthur Davidson worked on the idea. With the help of Arthur's brother Walter, they finished their first prototype but when they tested it, they found that it was not strong enough to be used in climbing hills without the aid of pedals. So they worked on again and made some adjustments and improvements.

Their next prototype has a bigger engine. This time, 24.74 with about 10 inch flywheels. The loop frame was actually quite similar to the very first real Harley motorcycle. Creating the model was a joint effort of the three along with outboard motor pioneer Ole Evinrude.

By 1904, they completed the prototype and entered in a motorcycle race and by 1905, they introduced the engine to the market through a do it yourself trade. That year, more than a dozen harley-davidson were made.

With big dreams, Harley and the Davidsons built their first factory in Chestnut Street, which will later be Juneeau Avenue, where a special tribute to Harley-Davidson now stands. The first factory was not so big and it was made of wood. Yet, it managed to produce about 50 that year alone.

When William graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in mechanical engineering, he used his knowledge to build the business. In 1907, they expanded their factory and began producing about 150 units. They even began selling wholesale to police departments and other government units. In September of that same year, the company became an 'incorporated.

It was also in 1907 when another prototype was built. This time, the engine had dual cylinders called the V-Twin model. This model produces 7 horsepower, doubling the strength especially in climbing mountains. Speed was also increased to about 60 mph. The model was an instant hit, putting their production to about 450 in 1908

UK motorcycle advertising
UK Motorcycles for sale - FREE advertising, include pictures - no time or word limits. Quad bikes, Mini Moto, scooters, dirt bikes plus many more. Thousands of adverts to browse.
UK motorcycle advertising
US Motorcycles for sale - FREE advertising, include pictures - no time or word limits. Dirt bikes, cruisers, sports bikes etc..
Latest motorcycle adverts
See the latest motorcycle adverts - as they come in. Be the first to see the latest adverts.
Dirt bikes for sale in the UK
See the latest dirt bike adverts - categorised by make, model and engine size.
Dirt bikes for sale in the US
See the latest dirt bike adverts - categorised by make, model and engine size.
Scooters for sale in the UK
Find the exact scooter you need from our huge list of scooter adverts. Used scooters of all makes and models.
Mini Moto bikes for sale
See all the Mini Moto adverts from private sellers. All types of MiniMoto - dirt, sports and cruiser.
Motorcycles for sale in London
See all of the bike adverts in London - beat the congestion charge and travel safely.
Sports bikes for sale - Superbikes
Find hundreds of superbike adverts with pictures here.
Place a free UK motorcycle advert
Place a totally FREE motorcycle advert. Reach over 10 thousand visitors per day - no time or word limit and include a picture.

and to a whopping 1200 in 1909. In 1911, a mechanically operated intake valves was introduced in the engine. Although the engine is actually smaller, the motor gave better performance.

By 1913, the business grew, prompting the owners to build a new 5 story factory over the already built structure. By 1914, the company is leading the competition in the manufacturing of all over the world.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Robert Janeway
Bob is the owner of harley.knowsmart.com/ which is an up-to-date, informative harley davidson website.